If there’s a single lesson I’ve learned in writing full-time, it’s that emergencies are inevitable. Food budgets run short, bills pile up, or there’s a medical situation or repair that needs urgent attention and grains time and money—often when the next publication date is far away, as is the payment for same. Here’s how to find writing jobs that might pay quicker.

Connecting with Known Clients

Start by connecting with your known and trusted clients. Ask if there’s any current work or writing project, and there might be an opportunity. A known customer relationship is an easier start for making money-in-a-pinch than finding a new editor who may take weeks to approve fresh copy.

Great Bridge Links, Gifts for Mystics, and FundsforWriters have been supportive of my writing (and thankfully) for many years. I can query them, and they already know my writing quality and work ethic. These established markets are worth their weight in gold.

Agency Overflow

Create a list of content agencies and refer to these for overflow work. Contact these agencies and ask them to place you on a list of overflow, emergency copywriters. Most agencies keep a list of these for when their staff (or regulars) are unable to work. The more agencies have your resume on file, the more likely this is to succeed.

I’ve done quick jobs for agencies like Levy Online and TextBoss when they needed a writer, and that work has helped get me out of a pinch or two.

Direct-from-Author Jobs

Connect directly with authors. While a publication might only pay after publication in three months, negotiating an immediate job with an author could have more favorable payment terms for both parties. Editing, proofreading, and ghostwriting are common services you could offer with experience.

I’ve worked as writer’s assistant for Raven Digitalis, and edited fiction by Hermione le Roux-Ellis. These direct-from-author jobs paid the rent and bought the food, both at a lifesaving time when I wasn’t sure how to pay the bills.Direct-to-Reader Sales

Sales doesn’t always have to mean hawking merchandise and a starting budget. Instead, think of what you could sell directly to readers—a writing workbook, your personal writing notes, or a collection or previously unpublished stories released as an ebook.

Add a downloadable item for sale through Buy Me a Coffee or WordPress; it’s free. Encourage sales via writing classifieds and book groups, or advertise to your readers if you have an existing (even small) fan base.

I’ve sold signed copies of the horror collection Skrik op die Lyf via classifieds and book groups when needing money. I occasionally sell notes, illustrations, and other signed things through my personal website.

When people aren’t buying articles or stories, what else can readers buy from you?

Look at local newspapers, small publications, and writing newsletters for (sometimes free) potential reach outside your audience. Sometimes people will buy items just to own something from an author, even if they don’t quite know them yet.

Selling Your Time

Time is valuable, and many authors have other services advertised. People can pay for your time instead of commissioning an article from you, maybe in the form of consultations or per-hour services. There’s editing and proofreading, and if you are familiar with self-publishing, formatting and cover design. Teach classes at the library. Tutor writing.

My own website advertises proofreading and creative tarot reading services. Similarly, Raven is also a proficient tarot reader and editor. Other than articles and books, we’re selling our time as an added branch to our business.

Focus on what you’re good at and advertise it, riding on the back of your writing reach. Sometimes these other items can be the income you need in an emergency, to fill in the void between writing gigs.

About the Author: Alex J. Coyne is a journalist, author, and proofreader. He has written for an array of publications and websites, with a radar calibrated for gothic, gonzo, and the weird.

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